Court: Bowling for Columbine “factual and substantially true’

A federal judge has dismissed a $20 million libel lawsuit against Michael Moore filed by James Nichols, brother of Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols.

James Nichols said statements in Moore’s Oscar-winning film Bowling for Columbine could be misinterpreted to inaccurately link him to the bombing. He also said the film intentionally inflicted emotional distress on him. — BBC

Among the statements Nichols objected to in the film was, “Terry Nichols was arrested and received a life sentence. Timothy McVeigh was executed. But the feds didn’t have the goods on James, so the charges were dropped.’

U.S. District Court judge Paul Borman threw out the lawsuit, stating in his opinion that “defendant’s statements were factual and substantially true statements.’ In the U.S. a finding of libel is barred if the statements at issue are true.